European football’s governing body agreed to keep Armenia and Azerbaijan apart during the Euro 2012 qualifying process amid an ongoing territorial dispute between the two nations.

When Gibraltar was formally admitted to Uefa, it also confirmed that its newest member would not have to play Spain, which does not recognise it as a separate country. Russia and Georgia were also kept apart.

But Serbia and Albania were not separated in the draw, although away fans were banned from the stadium in Belgrade. It was the first time Albania had played in Belgrade since 1967 amid tension over Kosovo.

The two countries, separated by the disputed territory of Kosovo, share a tense history and Albania’s federation did not make tickets available for travelling fans. Albanian fans attempting to enter the ground faced the possibility of the arrest if they carried Albanian symbols.

However, a Uefa spokesman said there was “no clear reason” why the two teams should be kept apart in the draw and that neither side had made such a request at the time of the draw.

He said the three criteria used to determine whether two countries should be kept apart were whether they had normal diplomatic relations, whether there was an ongoing military or armed conflict and whether there had been a request made by either national association to be kept apart.

In this case, he said, Serbia and Albania had normal diplomatic relations, were not engaged in an armed conflict and had not requested to be kept apart.

“The match is then analysed by Uefa’s international committee. When the draw was made there was no negative reaction from either side at the time. But both associations agreed not to take their own supporters to away matches. Uefa fully supported this move,” said the spokesman.

“All the conditions were met at the time. There was no clear reason why these teams should be kept apart.”

Some feel that Uefa set a dangerous precedent in agreeing to keep Armenia and Azerbaijan apart in 2010, storing up potential problems for the future in having to make difficult political judgments about which teams should be allowed to play one another.

During the draw for the Euro 2016 qualifiers, Gibraltar were drawn into the same group as Spain and had to be moved to one containing the Republic of Ireland and Scotland.

Serbia must play their next two European qualifying matches behind closed doors as punishment for the chaos that enveloped their match with Albania in Belgrade but both sides have been sanctioned by Uefa